Here there! I'm back after a small hiatus, this is the first chapter of the second arc. I hope you gonna like it.

She was there, standing in the center of the room and surrounded by dozens of corpses. As usual, she was wearing that drama mask with an unsettling smile. Shiena was taking slow steps towards her, climbing over the mountain of dead bodies. When she finally reached her, Shiena stretched her arm out and grabbed her mask. For the first time, she managed to remove it and finally see Jack's face.

Otoya faced her. She was looking at her with such a soft, warm and sweet expression. She smiled gently as she tenderly caressed Shiena's cheek. She then leaned out and Shiena knew she had to get out, but her body couldn't move. Deep down, she wanted this.

And they kissed. A soft yet passionate kiss. Shiena could feel Otoya's hands gently stroking her back, bringing her closer to her. Her tongue slipped inside of her mouth, playing with hers. Such a warm and sweet kiss that Shiena wished could last forever.

A sudden salty and metallic taste invaded Shiena's mouth. She instinctively recoiled and wiped her mouth, to discover that blood was dripping out of it. With shock she raised her head to look at Otoya, who had blood dripping from her lips too- twisted in a truly malevolent grin. Terrified, Shiena pushed her away, ready to run away.

But something stopped her. It felt like her foot was stuck. Shiena looked down to discover with horror that one of the corpses had grabbed her ankle. Shiena panicked and tried to break free, but the corpse managed to make her fall. Shiena ended up lying on the floor, surrounded by dead bodies. Like zombies, they all started to slowly creep towards her. Shiena tried to desperately crawl away from them, but it was too late. The corpses reached her and pinned her to the floor. It was over. It was time for Shiena to join Jack's victims.

"O-Otoya… please… help me!" Shiena pleaded.

Otoya stood there for a moment, still grinning, before she burst into an insane laughter. The zombies dug their nails and teeth in Shiena's flesh, who screamed in agony as they slowly ripped her apart…

Shiena nearly screamed when she woke up. Her mouth was wide open but no sound came from it. Instead, she gasped and choked on her saliva and started to cough. What an awful nightmare. But, it made Shiena hopeful. Perhaps all that happened recently was nothing more than just a bad dream…

The cold and hard surface she was lying on reminded her of the equally cold and hard reality. She wasn't lying on her comfortable bed safe in her apartment, no. She was lying on a metallic bed in a jail cell. For days now, Shiena had been kept in police custody. She rose up, stretching her sore body, sat on the bed and let out a powerful sigh.

What did she do to end up in such an awful situation? All she wanted to do was help people, catch a dangerous serial killer and bring them to justice. But she ended up accused of the crimes of that very serial killer and there she was now, imprisoned.

Shiena knew it was her fault. She hated herself to have been fooled like this, to have been blinded by love like a mere school girl. She wasn't sure if she should cry at her misery or laugh at her own stupidity.

She heard footsteps approaching her cell. Shiena stood up, waiting to see who it was. A policeman eventually arrived and with his key, unlocked the door.

"You have a visitor, Kenmochi," he said stoically.

A visitor? Who could that be? Shiena was curious, but also wary. The cop handcuffed her and brought her outside the cell, leading her through a corridor. They stopped when they reached a room and he let her go inside, before closing the door behind her. Shiena looked around in the room and saw a woman. She was smiling at her politely, sitting at the table. She seemed to be in her forties, with long auburn hair and purple eyes, dressed like a businesswoman.

"Ah, Kenmochi-san. You may sit," the woman said with a professional vibe.

Who was this woman and what was she doing here? Shiena didn't dare to ask those questions and did as she was told and sat down in front of her.

"You must be wondering who I am and what I want from you," the woman said, basically reading Shiena's mind.

"Uh… yeah."

"I'm here to help you, Kenmochi-san. I know you are innocent and I want to avoid you going to jail for crimes you haven't committed."

So she claimed to be an ally. Shiena wasn't sure if she could really trust her, especially since she couldn't see why someone would want to help her in the first place.

"So are you like… my lawyer?" Shiena asked.

"No, but I'm the head of a powerful group, and I could offer you one of the best lawyers money can buy."

"I… thanks… but I don't think I have the money for that…."

"You don't have to worry about that. We'll take care of all the costs."

That sounded awfully suspicious. Who would offer a lawyer's services freely? Especially someone who claimed to be the head of a powerful group. Something was fishy with this, Shiena knew it. It seemed too good to be true, and she had personally experienced that. It was even the reason why she was here in the first place.

"What is this group you are talking about?" Shiena asked.

"I regret it, but I can't tell you."

"Then can you at least tell me your name?"

"No."

Shiena had a bad feeling about that. The woman continued to smile, but Shiena could feel something… darker in it. This must be some kind of trap, but Shiena couldn't tell why.

"I don't think I can accept your offer, thanks," Shiena said coldly.

The woman's smile didn't change in the slightest, but somehow it sent chills down Shiena's spine. She was fearing any reaction from her upon her refusal.

"Well then, I wish you luck for the upcoming trial. With all the proof against you, I highly doubt the court-appointed attorney can do anything for you. Enjoy prison, Kenmochi-san. Death penalty is usually what awaits killers in Japan."

The woman rose up. Upon hearing those words, Shiena started to panic. She didn't want to go to jail, and even less get executed for something she hadn't done. As the woman headed for the door, Shiena suddenly rose up too.

"Wait!" Shiena shouted. "I… I just want to know… why would you want to help me… without anything in return?"

The woman stopped walking and turned back, her smile still there as if it was printed on her face.

"Let's just say that you dying isn't in our best interests. We believe in AKA's mission and it would be bad if one of their members ended up being a killer herself."

It did seem to make sense, but Shiena remained doubtful. But in her current situation, it wasn't like she had many choices. She had to get whatever help she could have if she wanted to have a chance to survive.

"... Fine. I'll accept your offer."

The woman's smile grew wider.

"You made the right decision, Kenmochi-san. Trust me, your life will be in good hands."

Shiena wasn't sure if that was the truth, but she chose to remain optimistic. As the woman started to leave, she turned back one last time, still smiling, yet seeming to have some threat in her eyes.

"Do you know who Jack the Ripper of the 21st century is, Kenmochi-san?"

Shiena froze. Why did she feel like her life depended on what she was going to reply to this question? She did know who Jack was. But she also knew Jack was part of some evil organization, and her knowing the identity of one of their members could put her life at risk and get her killed. It was unsafe to tell anyone the truth. After all, nobody could be trusted.

"If… if I knew, I wouldn't be here in the first place. I would have denounced them already," Shiena replied nervously.

The woman seemed satisfied with that answer and finally opened the door.

"Thank you for the trust you put in us, Kenmochi-san. I wish you luck in the upcoming trial."

And she left the room. The policeman, who was waiting outside, retrieved Shiena to lead her back to her cell.

Shiena hoped she made the right decision. For now, all she could do was hope for the best and not fall into despair.

Shiena wanted to be over with this already. The courtroom was so full and she was the center of attention. After all, this trial was all about her. This whole situation was so stressful for her. She could feel that most of the room was extremely hostile towards her. Well, she was being put on trial and accused of horrific murders, so it wasn't surprising if people felt some animosity towards her. Shiena just hoped that her lawyer would be able to prove her innocence and expose the truth so people could stop seeing her as a murderer.

Her lawyer was a charismatic young man who seemed like the type of guy she would have hated in high school. But since he was defending her, Shiena wouldn't complain. The opposition attorney was a middle-aged woman who seemed strict and dour, like those severe teachers that every student feared.

"My client is innocent," Shiena's lawyer began. "She was victim of a big misunderstanding. Until now she worked with the police to catch Jack the Ripper of the 21st century, it's inconceivable that she could be this serial killer."

"A big misunderstanding?" the other attorney said dryly with a bitter laugh. "She was found on a crime scene covered in blood and holding a bloody knife! They found a human heart belonging to one of the victims in her freezer! She had a gun on her! What more do you need? She's without a doubt the killer!"

"My client already explained every of those details in a coherent way-"

"Then I would love to hear it! Judge, may I call the accused to the stand?"

"You may," the judge authorized.

Shiena felt her heart racing like crazy. She nervously stood up, trying to ignore all the gazes directed at her as she walked towards the stand. She sat down, her shoulders curled up, trying to make herself small as if she could simply not be seen anymore. The opposed attorney stepped towards her, glancing at her coldly.

"Kenmochi, is that true you were found on the latest crime scene holding a bloody knife?"

"Y-Yes, but-"

"And is it true that there was a human heart in your freezer?"

"...Yes, but-"

"And yet, you claim do be innocent? Do you think we are stupid? How could you possibly justify this?"

She was merciless in her questions. There was no doubt that she was certain Shiena was the culprit. But Shiena knew she was innocent, and it was up to her to prove it by admitting the truth, even if it might get her into trouble.

"The night of the murder, I was at the festival with my friends. I was… going back home and I got knocked out. Then I woke up next to… a corpse. I picked up the knife and this is when… the police showed up."

"Uh-uh… likely story. And what about the human heart in your freezer? I'm really curious to know how it can be a 'misunderstanding'."

"I… someone sent it to me. I found a box in front of my door and it contained… a human heart."

"And you kept it in your freezer instead of calling the police because…?"

"Uh… I was… scared. I was working on the investigation, I was worried that… I would get removed from the case if the others knew the killer was aware of where I lived. I desperately needed to catch them, and I wasn't going to give up just because-"

"So you're telling me you would have recklessly put yourself in danger and hide valuable clues simply for your own personal satisfaction?"

"N-No! I just wanted-"

"Even if you weren't the killer, you would be arrested for purposely hiding evidence. It would only prove how selfish and irresponsible you are-"

"Objection!" Shiena's lawyer shouted. "She's harassing and insulting my client!"

"Objection accepted. I think you made your point," the judge said.

The opposed lawyer stepped back as she sighed, while Shiena anxiously left the stand and returned to her seat.

"I would like to call my witness to testify," Shiena's lawyer said.

Shiena turned back to see who was walking forward. She was surprised to see Haru stepping towards the stand and sitting there, but also relieved. If anyone could prove her innocence, it was Haru.

"Please state your name and your relationship to my client."

"My name is Ichinose Haru and I'm Shiena-san's coworker, as well as her friend."

"If I understood correctly, you were with my client the night of the murder, is that right?"

"Yes. We were at the festival together."

"And you were with her all evening?"

"Pretty much. We passed my house after we left the festival and when she left it was maybe around 11pm."

"So you can testify that my client didn't kill anyone when you were together?"

"Absolutely. I really don't see how Shiena-san could have killed anyone-"

"Objection!" the other attorney said. "It does not prove in any way Kenmochi's innocence."

"Objection accepted," the judge said.

"Oh? How it doesn't prove my client's innocence?"

"Kenmochi was found past midnight at the victim's house, she could have committed the murder after leaving Ichinose's house."

"Shiena-san isn't a killer! She would have never done something so horrific!" Haru protested.

"You're only biased because she's your friend, you're nothing more than an accomplice!"

"That's enough!" the judge thundered. "You both made your point. Ichinose-san, you may return to your seat."

Haru rose up and when she passed next to Shiena, she gave her a look full of sympathy. For once, Shiena was truly grateful to her for standing up for her and defending her. Despite everything, she knew she could count on Haru. It was the first time she genuinely saw her as a friend.

"I would like to call my witness to testify," the opposed attorney called.

Shiena looked up and saw that Tokaku had taken Haru's place at the stand. It didn't look good for her.

"So, Azuma, you are the one who found the accused on the scene of crime, is that right?"

"Yes. Kenmochi was standing near the corpse, covered in blood and holding a bloody knife."

"So there is no doubt for you that she is the killer?"

"Affirmative. I always knew something was wrong with her. Ever since we investigated the ripper she always seemed… fascinated by them. She knew way too much about how they think. It felt like she could relate to them- like she had sympathy for them. I wouldn't be surprised if she was the ripper herself. She admires them because she is them, those are her crimes, and she loves to talk about it because she's a narcissistic killer, like most serial killers."

Shiena listened with shock to Tokaku twisting her own passion against her to make her look bad. The attorney seemed satisfied by her declaration and Tokaku went back to her seat. Her own lawyer called another witness to the stand and Shiena was surprised to see Chitaru. She was worried about what her coworker would say. She didn't think she could bear to see Chitaru publicly condemning her.

"So, Namatame-san, you also discovered my client on the crime scene, is that correct?"

"That's true."

"Would you say there is enough evidence to conclude that she is indeed the culprit?"

"I… I'm not quite sure. I have known Kenmochi for a while, and I really don't think she could be a killer. I mean, some evidence pointed at her being the killer, but deep down I wish that it's a mistake. I don't want to think Kenmochi is a murderer. This is why I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt. I don't have much to say about this, so I'll leave my faith in justice."

"Very well. Thank you for your time, Namatame-san."

Chitaru left the stand. Shiena let out a sigh. Even if her coworker didn't really defend her, at least she didn't outright think she was the culprit. It was better than nothing.

A few more of her colleagues came to testify, some in her favour, and some not. But when she suddenly saw Hitsugi walking towards the stand, she had a bad feeling.

"State your name and your relationship to the accused," the opposed attorney asked.

"My name is Kirigaya Hitsugi, I'm the wife of Namatame Chitaru and I'm friends with Ichinose Haru. I met Kenmochi-san once, I went to the mall with her and Ichinose-san."

"How would you describe Kenmochi?"

"Hmm… she seems… normal. Too normal. I don't know how to explain it, she just kind of feels off. Like her personality was only a facade- like she was wearing a mask. Despite how normal she looked, I felt like I could see… something dark in her eyes. I don't want to throw baseless accusation, but I think Kenmochi-san isn't the person she pretends to be."

What she just said left everyone mumbling to each other with concern. Shiena couldn't believe what Hitsugi just said. Why did she do that? Did she secretly hate her or something? She made her look like a total psychopath.

"Thank you Kirigaya, you may return to your seat," the attorney said as Hitsugi left the stand. "As you can see, Kenmochi successfully managed to trick all those people into thinking she was normal. She blended perfectly into society without raising much suspicion about her dark self, she's the very definition of a clinical sociopath. She killed all those innocent women for her personal pleasure and out of jealousy-"

"Objection! You have no proof that my client killed all those women! In fact, for most of the previous murder, my client had an alibi. Even if she had committed the last few murders, it's impossible for her to be the culprit for all of them. There is now way she can be Jack the Ripper of the 21st century."

"But she has no alibi for the last few murders and there is a ton of evidence that she is the culprit. Even if she isn't Jack the Ripper, she could be a copycat. Fascinated by the serial killer, she decided to imitate their gruesome murders."

"Do you have any proof of that?"

"And you, do you have any proof that she isn't? Let me remind you that she was found on the crime scene covered in blood and holding a bloody knife, and one of the victims' hearts was found in her freezer. She at least killed those two women."

There didn't seem to have much more to say. Shiena really didn't see how her lawyer could possibly prove her innocence at this point. Even if she was proven to not be Jack, she could easily get accused of being a copycat killer.

"I never said she didn't kill those two women, all I'm saying is that my client is not criminally responsible for those murders," her lawyer suddenly said.

Shiena remained confused. What the hell was he talking about? Everyone else seemed as surprised and lost as her.

"Excuse me? What's your point?" the opposed attorney asked.

"Exactly what I said. My client suffered for a lot of untreated mental issues, so it wouldn't be unlikely that she committed those two murders without realizing it or remembering it."

Shiena was dumbfounded. Did her own lawyer just admit she could be the killer? Wasn't he supposed to prove her innocence? What the hell was going on? The opposed attorney even let out a bitter giggle.

"Really? The insanity defense? Are you really that desperate?"

"Oh, but I'm not desperate. I always had the feeling it might be the case, I just wanted at first to make it clear my client wasn't Jack the Ripper of the 21st century. I would like to call my client to the stand please."

Shiena shyly rose up, feeling even more anxious as she sat down next to the judge. Her lawyer stepped towards her and stood in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Shiena whispered to him with incomprehension.

"Don't worry, I'm doing this to help you. Trust me," her lawyer mumbled before he spoke out loud. "So, Kenmochi-san, talk to me about your childhood. How was your relationship with your parents?"

Shiena didn't know what to do. Should she really trust him? She didn't have many options left.

"... My parents… never loved each other. They got married only because my mother ended up pregnant with me. They never wanted me. They never cared about me."

"So you were neglected as a child, and you never received any parental love."

"Yeah…"

"How was your life at school? Any friends?"

"N-No, not really… I was always… a loner. I… was too shy. And then… I got heavily bullied. People were insulting me, breaking my stuff, punching me..."

"So you lack self-esteem, you were abused all your childhood, you never received any form of love. All you ever experienced was pain."

"Y-Yeah, pretty much-"

"Objection!" the opposed attorney exclaimed. "What is the point of this sob and self-pity story?"

"I'm trying to show my client's mental state. It's important for my defense."

"Objection refused, you may continue," the judge said.

"Thank you. So, Kenmochi-san, why did you accept to work for the police?"

"I… I wanted to help. I wanted to catch killers, save people, be… useful. Have a meaning in my life- a purpose."

"I see. So you were desperate for love and acceptance in your life because you never experienced it before. You needed your peers' approval and respect because no one else in your life did. You became obsessed with finding who Jack the Ripper was. Your entire existence became about them. You tried to emphasize so much with them and understand them… that you started to behave like them. You didn't realize it, you lost contact with reality due to an untreated mental illness, and you killed those two women without realizing it."

Shiena didn't know what to reply to this. She knew everything he was saying was false, and he was supposed to defend her, right? So why was he trying to portray her as an insane killer…

Then she understood. It was all part of a set-up. This woman who offered her help… she tricked her. She got deceived. From the very beginning, everything had been a trap.

Shiena felt anger rise in her. She was tired of people deceiving her. This whole trial was nothing more than a big farce. They were using her own pain and insecurities against her to paint her as crazy, she won't let them get away with this. She could feel blood rushing through her head and her body becoming tense.

"Kenmochi-san? Are you still with us? Do you remember killing those women?" her lawyer asked.

Shiena looked down for a moment before she finally gazed at her lawyer with fire in her eyes.

"I didn't kill those two women," Shiena said firmly.

"Please, Kenmochi-san, I know it's hard for you to accept it. You may have forgotten, but you did-"

"I'M NOT CRAZY!"

Shiena violently slammed her hand on the table and rose up.

"Who do you work for!? This woman in the suit, from what group is she? I know. You're both from that evil organisation Jackie is from, your secret assassin guild. You all want to silence me because I discovered the truth, huh? I won't let you!"

Her lawyer recoiled a little bit while the vibe in the courtroom became tense.

"... K-Kenmochi-san, what are you talking about? Evil organisation? Secret assassin guild? You're being delusional! And who's Jackie?"

"This whole trial is a set up against me! A conspiracy! I'm a threat to you so you want to get rid of me! You want to descriditate me by making me look insane! This was your plan all along, right!? I won't get along with this, I'm done playing this game!"

"Kenmochi, calm down and sit back!" the judge ordered.

Shiena froze. She realized that she was shouting in the middle of a trial. Everyone was looking at her as if she was crazy, mumbling to each others. She then noticed, in the back of the room, someone with dark hair tied up in a ponytail…

Shiena suddenly recognized her. The very person who was the reason why she was unjustly accused of murder. She could now feel her blood pulsating in her head.

"Jackie…"

Shiena stepped outside the witness box and started walking towards the crowd, much to their fright.

"Kenmochi, stop!" the judge ordered.

"She's there… Jackie… She's there! She's the one who framed me, she's the real killer! Arrest her! Arrest her right now!"

Shiena started to rush towards the crowd, seeing red, ready to take care of Jack herself. But before she could reach her, she was suddenly pinned to the ground by a policewoman. Shiena tried to struggle, but it was in vain. The cop was way stronger than her.

"Kenmochi-san, you need to calm down!" the cop said.

"Let me go! She's there! Jackie is just right there! She's the real killer! Go arrest her!"

"Please, I need a sedative!"

Another cop joined them and Shiena felt something sting her arm. She continued to struggle until her muscles became limp and she lost her strength. When she stopped moving the policewoman released her and pulled her back on her feet, before she brought her back to her seat. Shiena felt really relaxed and dizzy, like she was about to go to bed.

"See? Isn't it the reaction of an unstable and violent psychopath!?" the opposed attorney said.

"Have you no knowledge in psychiatry? This is not how a psychopath would act," Shiena's lawyer replied. "My client was victim of a psychotic episode. She's delusional, she thinks everything here is part of some conspiracy plot by an evil organisation. She's a victim of the system, nobody took care of her since she's a child, she had been mistreated by others, and exhausted by her job. With her untreated mental issues, it's not surprising that she snapped. My client needs help- medical help."

Shiena felt her head spinning. She wasn't even sure what was going on anymore. Where was she again? She just started laughing and crying, but she didn't even know why.

"The jury may deliberate," the judge said.

The jury left the courtroom as Shiena felt more and more dizzy. Her vision was becoming blurry and she felt like she may collapse at any moment. The jury took their seats, and time felt nonexistent as they talked amongst each other..

"What is the jury's conclusion?" the judge asked.

One member of the jury stood up.

"We declared the accused Kenmochi Shiena guilty of two murders, but non-criminally responsible for cause of insanity."

Those were the last words Shiena heard before she finally lost consciousness.

Things aren't looking good for Shiena at all. What do you think will happen next?